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ISIS Defeated In A Capital Of So-Called Caliphate; President Xi Jinping Pledges To Build A Modern Socialist Country; Children Forced To Serve As Slaves For ISIS; Aid Group: Humanitarian Crisis Escalating In Syria; Diwali Lights Up Dubai. Aired at 11a-12p ET

Aired October 18, 2017 - 11:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:00:27] BECKY ANDERSON, CONNECT THE WORLD, CNN: We can't say it is over, but in Raqqa, in Syria. Once a savage home of ISIS's want to be

empire of evil were proudly paraded itself, it almost certainly is. We watch it start eruption from right here in this region. Three long years

ago and now. Here with me, I am Becky Anderson and what is this special edition of Connect the World there is no way back up on any show on any

network at any time for us to show you how it is finally crumbling. It last torn remnants being pulled down right now in here wanted symbol power

by forces armed to teeth and backup by American. They are searching and clearing for a city as old as time now in ruins looks almost lost to it.

They are looking for booby traps and hunting for any hidden lurking terrorist. Still victory looks suite here, you won't see these images

anywhere else anyway have the rights to them. Armored cars, troops going around what's always be the city's main square, but a place ISIS transforms

into an arena of cruelty. Chopping of heads, even crucifying its victims here.

We made this to show you what denying the terrorist fancy look like to the yellow areas of land they once dominated shrinking and shriveling to almost

extinction. You know this is a very messy time in Syria and around the region we offer everything we have in you this hour on top awarding

journalist on the ground and across the world following every part of it. First to Arwa Damon in Iraq near Syria.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

ARWA DAMON, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN: A spokesperson for this Democratic forces as the absence of the clearing operations are still

ongoing, they are trying root out any remnants of Isis fighters the coalition estimate and to be around 100 at this state perhaps hiding out in

the rubble or in the burnout buildings, they are also trying to undertake what is a pretty monumental task of clearing Raqqa street, alley ways,

buildings of any sort of improvised explosive device that ISIS had historically left behind whenever it has been defeated and that we have

been seeing a drone footage exclusively obtained by CNN and you already beginning to celebrate their victory driving around one of Raqqa main

roundabout. This is the roundabout were some of ISIS worst atrocities unfolded this chilling beheading, the horrific execution and crucifixions

will also see in these images are sheer breathtaking scale of the destruction once the city had been officially declared liberated and then

the next few days and then begin the enormous task of trying to begin rebuild. There is a civilian counsel to start moving and working right

away, but the big question of course is who is going to find all of this. Is not that there is a government that Raqqa will be handed over to the

finances or any of the entities operating on the ground actually have the means for such a massive undertaking. Meanwhile the civilian population

that fled continues to languish in refugee camps that are overcrowded literally bursting at the scene. The frontlines right now moved towards

(inaudible) an organization that say around 10,000 people a day are fleeing the fighting there. Even though the loss of Raqqa is yes, a massive blow

to ISIS territorially speaking ideology, the ISIS-ideology still very much alive. Arwa Damon CNN in Northern Iraq.

(END VIDEO)

ANDERSON: As you know the Syrian themselves of course had been living with Civil War for more than six years. ISIS infiltrating a crack for much of

it. I want to bring you some of the action from the everyday in Syria. Have a look at the events in Raqqa. Have a look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Liberating Raqqa is very important thing in the turning point for Syria, because Raqqa was a stronghold of the Islamic state group

in Syria and of course it is a turning point in Syrian politics, because Kurds will be a card in America's hands pressure on the Syrian government

is a prerequisite for negotiations.

[11:05:09] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm very happy about the liberation of Raqqa. I wish this liberation would've been achieved by the Syrian Arab

Army and the government forces, but still as the forces is better than (inaudible). I believe they are better than any other faction that is

fought on Syrian territory.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: We got a wealth of experience to bring to you now as I promised CNN Ben Wedeman not far from Syria over in Iraq. Ben your analysis of what

we are witnessing at this point.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I think we are seeing the end of ISIS but certainly not the end of troubles in the Middle East I

think what's important to keep in mind is that we're coming to the end of the three-year period in which many countries many enemies agreed on one

thing and that was the need to destroy ISIS. So we saw for instance are the United States and Iran in Iraq working in our parallels although not

together to destroy ISIS. We saw almost every state in the Arab world working to varying degrees attracted to try to destroy this terrorist

organization however now that it's over many of the old differences disagreements animosities that existed are coming to the fore again that we

spent the day in Kirkuk where we saw rising tensions between Iraqis and Kurds and this is an old problem that is really just coming to the fore.

Keep in mind it was only a year ago that the Kurds in the Iraqi army were working together in coordination armed and trained by the United States to

destroy ISIS. And now we see them on very opposite sides of the situation in Kirkuk which is increasingly tense so I think obviously time for some to

savor the destruction of ISIS, but this is not the beginning of an era of peace and stability and prosperity.

ANDERSON: Ben Kurdish forces as you have pointed out being key to fighting ISIS while they are being welcomed with open on arms, well just like the

Raqqa in Kirkuk as you points out the Iraqi government is taking them out. What happens next?

WEDEMAN: I don't think it would be quite correct to say the Iraqi government is kicking them out there and in this somewhat hostile situation

with some of the political parties that this is not it was a repeat of Saddam Hussein's (inaudible) campaign if the late 1980s when he did

wipeout, push out, drive out the Kurds, but clearly this is a situation that is going to be remain quite tense for quite a while, but we were

speaking to people fleeing to Kirkuk today, Kurds who are accusing the United States of abandoning them of supporting them in the fight against

ISIS when it comes to defending the rights of the Kurdish people in Iraq for independence the Americans turned their backs and it should be kept in

mind that the United States repeats over and over again that there goal is the destruction of ISIS. ISIS is essentially in its final phases, but what

is the American policy after the destruction of ISIS. There is reconstruction to be done there are political situations which the

Americans have played a part in, but we don't see any moves to try to resolve these problems as we see here in Iraq between the Kurds in the

central government in Baghdad as we see in Syria what happens to the Kurds in there the Americans supported and trained after the destruction of ISIS.

Are the Americans just going to say mission accomplish and go home?

ANDERSON: And that is what we are about to discuss. Ben thank you for that. All right look, take this as ISIS. Let's put it here. And now flip

it over, there we go. That is what we just been talking about becoming reality in the Middle East. A domino effect into the unknown. Let me

bring back our animation for you, showing the land ISIS once snatch. Leaving their grip and leaving to a power vacuum. Leading a big question,

who will fit stretching from Syria to Iraq, everybody wants in, local governments to militants on the ground to Washington, Russia, Iran, Turkey,

and the Kurds and so it goes on. You don't have to look far, in almost in almost any part Middle East to see Iran at work, starting to that, CNN

(inaudible) is back on the ground in its capital Tehran for us. Fred the post ISIS landscape in the Middle East is being called up with multiple

turf wars most of which it seems, are working out in Tehran's favor. To what degree Fred?

[11:10:40] FREDERIK PLEITGEN, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN: Well certainly to the degree that Iranians had a lot more influence in both

Syria and Iraq and they had before always conflict started certainly before ISIS was on the scene. You look for instance towards Syria, they are the

main backer of Syrian Pres. Bashar Assad. There are a lot of Iranian forces that are on the ground inside Syria. Especially Revolutionary guard

forces but there's also a lot of associated Shiite militias that are loyal to Tehran as well, some of them are Iraqi or even Afghan forces but there

are a lot of people on the ground inside Syria were very favorable towards Iran and in the same thing you have in Lebanon the Hezbollah which is a

major fighting force inside Syria as well as become probably more powerful than it's ever it ever has been in Lebanon even though it was a course

always a very powerful force there to begin with and then you have Iraq, I think the Iranians are just really showed over the past couple days just

how powerful they are, of course, the commandeer essentially.

A lot of those Shiite Militias as they say those are under Iraqi government control and also with their influence over some Kurdish groups was actually

went away from the Kurdish regional government and did their own thing. Many say that that was a plot by the Iranians. Iranians are certainly

showing that they have big influence in all these countries and as one of the reasons why the supreme leader of Iran Ayatollah Ali, said today in a

speech that was a lease that attacks towards U.S. President Trump that one of the reasons why he believes the Americans are so angry is because of

Iran success in Iraq in Syria and Lebanon as well Becky.

ANDERSON: Fred, you are right to point out we had from Iran's supreme leader today. Called U.S. President Donald Trump a quote big mouth and

quote pretends to be an idiot and says that the US is an agent of international design in them in the creator of ISIS. Tehran and the U.S.

we know on opposing sides in Syria, but of course all fighting ISIS. What was the message he was trying to get across Fred?

PLEITGEN: I mean this whole thing about fighting ISIS is quite interesting, because both the US and Iran accused each other of essentially

being the reason why ISIS was created both of them are fighting ISIS. Accusing each other of not fighting ISIS so that have a rhetoric to

something that we certainly have seen a lot in the past not just from U.S. officials but certainly from Iranian officials as well. One of the things

that the supreme leader was trying to social there is that he's not afraid of President Trump and was obviously alluding to President Trump speech

last Friday were President Trump say that he would curtail especially the Revolutionary guards influence in places like Iraq, Syria and to a certain

degree also Lebanon and Iran everything that simply isn't going to be the case that show the past couple of days that it doesn't appear as though,

that is the case.

The other big thing however that he was also referring to some the Iranians have been discussing a lot over the past days it is the future of the

nuclear agreements and not something of course many people here as though as it is in jeopardy and there he said the Iranians are going to abide by

the agreement, stay in the agreement until someone breaches it. They also told the Europeans that he believes they need to do more to make sure

that's a disagreement stays in place in America as he called destroy the agreement, Becky.

ANDERSON: Fred as we are laser focus on this region and the geopolitical mess in this region are present in the proxy on the ground in both Syria

and Iraq, Israel warning that Iran is attempting to gain a military foothold in Syria essentially on Israel's doorstep and Prime Minister

Benjamin Netanyahu said that is something his country will never accept. Iranian fighters provided key support of course to Pasha al-Assad's regime

in Israel. Iran has no intention of leaving Syria for good anytime soon. Fred seem to be Israel, border region what do you see?

PLEITGEN: Of course the Iranians are not going to leave Syria. The Iranians, they believe they fought very hard in Syria especially against

groups are linked to Al Qaeda. So Iranians have no intention of leaving Syria the big question is either going to be something like a buffer zone

in the border area between Syria and Israel especially around the town of (inaudible) which is key it's right by the elan-you're right I was there

just about two months ago when you're in quick nature on the Syrian side that she see these Israeli watch towers right up the mountain, so this is

definitely a key area one with these Israeli say that would be a big red line for them.

[11:15:19] They already showed in the past that they have certain redline, there has been the convoys of weapons of the bond by the Israeli sometimes

acknowledge, sometimes not acknowledge. The Israelis really constantly show they are still there. What the Israelis are counting on at the moment

and probably not very comfortable counting on is the Russians they've essentially we believe told that something that simply cannot happen, there

cannot be Hezbollah or Iranian troops in the border region from what we saw on the ground there, in a couple of hours inside (inaudible) and the

surrounding areas of (inaudible) as well. We didn't feel as though there was much Iranian influence or Hezbollah influenced there. I have been to a

bunch of other places in Syria where you did see a lot of Iranian influence certainly the border area is not usually one of those places the Syrian

troops that we spoke to. The Syrian troops that we saw didn't say anything either.

ANDERSON: Fred Pleitgen is in Tehran from his view. I promise you, unique inside viewers into what is going on across the Middle East we are all of

them tonight and CNN reporter extraordinary currents awarded in London for just over a year ago that she was on the company behind redline in Syria.

Extremely brave stuff. Clarissa a year on, what is your analysis of what is going on, on the ground? CLARISSA WARD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well I

think the picture is becoming increasingly complex, while of course people across the international community are welcoming the very exciting news

that it does appear that some kind of victory is either extremely closer has in fact been achieved in the city of Raqqa. What this does is raise

some really tricky questions about what comes next? Will the defeat of ISIS in that heart of the country, who then takes over that territories,

who will be in charge of Raqqa? Will it be American forces for platform largely of Kurdish fighters? We probably not. Because Raqqa as you know

is an Arab population and it is not a Kurdish population, the Kurdish are probably reluctant to even try to impose some kind of rule over Raqqa.

Will it then be the Iranian back Iraqi forces are an Iranian backed Shia forces that we had seen were also participating in this fight. Well is

entirely possible that it raises some really tricky questions for the U.S. because as Fred just mention, as you had been mentioning they are closely

aligned to the regime of the Assad.

I think there are some real questions here, who takes over and Raqqa, who do we give or who takes over this a large swath of territory that ISIS is

rapidly losing its hold on. Does the U.S. simply essentially hand it over to the Assad regime that would be tricky as you could imagine for a number

of reasons Becky.

ANDERSON: And that leads me to the next a very simple question briefly what role or influence the U.S., the United States in the region going

forward?

WARD: Well that's the million-dollar question at the moment that I said the very model picture. We appear to be backing a lot of different horses

sometimes these horses serve racing or working at cross purposes, which makes it very difficult when you're trying to imagine what the U.S. is

broader strategy is going forward these appear to be largely transactional relationships, short-term relationships look at the Kurds a lot of them

right now Becky, feeling deeply in bitter with the U.S. that after all the blood that the Kurds have spelt for the U.S. as a proxy, fighting ISIS on

the ground that they have now largely been abandoned when it comes to the subject of this independence referendum that they held Iraqi-Kurdistan and

of course on the crucial issue of the city of Kirkuk, where Iraqi forces had gone inches of take control of oil installations.

The US has some tough decisions that it needs to make about who it wants to be backing and what its broader coherent strategy look like in the Middle

East, because you can get rid of ISIS, but it will be replaced with either or equally as toxic unless there is a coherent policy and strategy going

forward, Becky.

ANDERSON: Clarissa Ward rounding out this part of the show for you Clarissa, always a pleasure. Stay with us this hour for an exploration of

what the ISIS for both the Middle East and the rest of the world. A few moments I am going to speak to the best-selling author of the ISIS inside

the army of terror. To us, what is next after the fall of Raqqa? And as we look to the future we are reminded of the past and will bring you a

shocking report of how the terror group have used children as spoils of war. The welfare of kids will be an issue, we put directly to the U.N.

refugee agency we often about how the global refuge crisis will be affected by the fall of the so-called Caliphate. Stay with the special edition of

Connect the World, after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:22:31] ANDERSON: Our biggest story this hour is the fall of ISIS and it so-called capital and it so called Caliphate. Do you think the fall of

Raqqa is a victory or you are sadly mistaken, according to our next guest, in fact Hassan Hassan will call you a fool? The co-author of this book on

the rise of Isis said there is a shameless lack of political insight to back up the military force that has been used in the region. Hassan Hassan

is joining us now from Washington. Explain what you mean.

HASSAN HASSAN, CO-AUTHOR RISE OF ISIS: I mean, anybody who has been following the news over the past six months Raqqa and elsewhere before that

was western Mosul will tell you that this is not what victory should look like. The city of Raqqa is completely destroyed, this administration has

used annihilation tactics in the city. I think much of the destruction has taken place in the city was avoidable, rumor happened in Raqqa was

basically a complete encirclement of the city was a complete shutdown of all the exit points except for the areas that were liberated over the past

the past few months. So civilians trapped in inside the city, there was a (inaudible) crazy basically rate of strikes in the city just last week, one

senior officials were saying in the 75 strikes were conducted in the space in just 48 hours in a small fraction of the city of Raqqa.

ANDERSON: It may not surprise you that the U.S. President Donald Trump said he taking credit for rapid liberation, he talked about the changes he

made the U.S. military, have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I totally change rules of engagement, I totally changed our military. I totally change the attitudes

of the military and they have done a fantastic job. The ISIS is now giving up or giving up there raising their hands their walking off nobody's ever

seen that before or happen before, because you didn't have Trump as your president.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[11:25:03] ANDERSON: It is pretty clear there had been few comments from that the U.S. commander in chief aside from the top Republican Sen. John

McCain has spoken out very directly, he says clear leadership all of the Middle East is due.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN JOHN MCCAIN, (R) ARIZONA: I believe the last eight years were failed absolutely. Absolutely. There is no engagement there was no success was

no strategy so I certainly agree that last eight years where from dismal failure of our policies and strategies in Iraq and Afghanistan.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: What does the U.S. actually do now? We had been discussing this hour, Clarissa Ward says, it is absolutely not clear what U.S. policy will

be across Syria and Iraq going forward. What do you think happens next?

HASSAN: Nobody knows exactly what happened is in fact I have been talking to a lot of senior officials lately about this Syria, about what the policy

is. Even officials don't really have a clear idea of what is going to happened next? But also of the context and the problems that undergirds

the policy inside Syria, at least. What happen is ISIS we are not clearly what will happen to it. ISIS has signal over the past two years is

shifting its tactics back to the pre-muscle face so basically what you will see a return to the phase before ISIS took over Mosul. With the added

destructions and the problems had been created over the past three months, so we see the U.S. policy in Syria and Iraq adding more conflict to

conflict that existed before that exist three years ago. They are now in Iraq and Syria and I think we hadn't seen the worst of that yet.

ANDERSON: Hassan, the scale in which Syria has been torn apart in recent years is or even by the standards of modern warfare but the former U.S.

ambassador to Syria, think it could get even worst. Rising in foreign affairs Robert Ford and I quote, a fast with Iranian and Russian help is

starting to project more power into the eastern Syria as ISIS's remaining territory shrink. Syrian and U.S. back forces converging on the same city

before the Washington will have to decide whether when how to withdraw. Hassan, how much worst could things get?

HASSAN: We don't know and that is the tragedy of the over there. I think what we saw three years ago was something that was not expected. People

didn't anticipate something like that would happen and we have today a situation that is worse than three years ago or the other some the time for

only up to you what happened with the rise of ISIS. So what we see today is if you read the headlines or listen to American officials things those

look like getting better and things are easily before but in fact if you look, dig deeper that is not the case. We still have the same problems

that we have three years ago. We have more problems than we had three years ago and nobody knows how these programs will play out in the years to

come. The problem is that, I think, my opinion, the tragedy the real tragedy is of the United States will have to do a little more than what it

is doing now. So in terms of commitment, it doesn't really have sent for example troops and so forth, so what needs to be done is really just more

American leadership on the that is clear now in Iraq is basically United States is just standing by allowing two of its closest allies fighting in

Kirkuk and Iran. That doesn't bode well for the region. I think what needs to be done is more leadership less focus on the annihilation tactics,

because you counseled the region on the conflict to eradicate extremism by dropping more and more bombs in the new countries and then just leave, you

have to finish the job basically.

ANDERSON: Hassan Hassan on what is of our top story and incredibly important one. Messy one, it is complex, but it is incredibly important.

Hassan Hassan thank you. ISIS fighters retreat horrific details of abuse emerge. We will take a look at what is a devastating toll from their reign

of terror on the most innocent of victims.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: It is just after half past 7:00 in Abu Dhabi in the UAE. Welcome back, I'm Becky Anderson. This is Connect the World. There is one

big story in town this hour.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: U.S. officials say pockets of resistance are still in the Syrian city of Raqqa, even though ISIS has lost control of its self-declared

capital.

The Washington backs Syrian Democratic forces saying major military operations are now over. Well, that means we are coming to live from the

region that could soon see the back of dark malevolent chapter of its history.

But as we near the end of the battle against ISIS, as we know it, we are reminded of the hunting words attributed to Plato, only the dead have seen

the end of the war because as simply put, history warns us that the fight against terror is from over. Nic Robertson has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This was the old ISIS, a terror group with territory. Now, shelled out of Mosul, shot out of Raqqa and being

shorn with the rest of their so-called caliphate in Iraq and Syria.

Change is coming. And this is what their future will likely look like. And network of social media of deep web connections. A virtual caliphate

held together by trust, bolstered by far-flung franchises.

It's what al Qaeda did when it was beaten out of Afghanistan. Survived through trust, friends forged from the frontlines, dispersed around the

world in defeat kept their ideology together through secret communications attacking when and where they could.

ISIS' changing circumstance is already breeding a change in tactics. Last year telling would be Jihadists, stay home and attack there -- attacks in

the U.S., in Orlando and San Bernardino.

[11:35:00] As well as in Europe, Nice and Berlin, and Brussels, among others last year, London and Manchester in the U.K. this year -- attest to

the power of ISIS' message. And the demands of western government, social media companies toughen up on the terrorists.

Nevertheless, a virtual caliphate, ISIS will be weaker. Without territory, they will lose safe training camps and a space to plot and plan atrocities

with impunity.

Loss of territory alone won't snuff them out completely. ISIS' precursor in Iraq still carries out a wide ranging terror campaign from remote farms

and urban lock-ups.

Candidate Trump threatened to bomb the expletive out of ISIS but it's easier said than done. Their extinction when it does come will be over

time and through attrition. But until then, their social networking, virtual caliphate will remain a threat. Nic Robertson, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Well, China's president is setting a sweeping goal for his country's future but he says the communist system is still most effective

way to govern, and serve the interest of the Chinese people. President Xi Jinping open the Communist Party Congress in Beijing today.

He is expected to come out of the 19th national Congress with even more political power and some speculate he may seek to lead China beyond 2020.

Well, Matt Rivers is joining me now live from Beijing. And Matt, what was the big take away from what was this very long speech?

MATT RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, 3 1/2 hours almost and -- and there was a bit of a doozy. But Xi Jinping talked about all aspects of society

as he put it, which is why the speech went so long.

But each different aspect that he talked about was one of the unifying theme there and that would be total absolute control by the Communist Party

over all aspects of society.

Basically, as he went through his laundry list of successes, achievements for China over the past five years and what he hopes to do going forward in

the next five years.

The thing that tied everything together was that he believes that the only reason China has been able to accomplish what it has so far and the only

way it will be able to accomplish those kind of things, and more than that going forward is with the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party growing

stronger.

And so what you've seen over the last five years is Xi Jinping really consolidate power in a centralized way, exert more government control over

everything from corruption, with his anticorruption campaign against officials to online censorship controlling state media, stamping out any

dissent here in the country that goes against his governing philosophy.

And so, that's when you can take away what was on the last five years and that's kind of given us the model of what's going to happen once he assumes

his second term as president which will be formalize next week. It kind of gives you a glimpse as to what's going to happen over the next five years.

ANDERSON: Matt Rivers on the story for you. You are watching Connect the World. I'm Becky Anderson. This is a show from our Middle East

broadcasting hub, coming up, free at last after being forced to serve as a slave for ISIS, the boys' story has a happy ending but many other kids not

so lucky. Our exclusive report is just ahead.

[11:40:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: All this hours we've been talking about military victories against ISIS but even as the fighters retreat, the human toll from the

reign of terror will linger far behind, some of those suffering the most of course are young kids.

And for many even nightmare isn't over. Some 3,000 people, most of them women and kind are believe to be captives of ISIS. In this CNN exclusive

report, CNN's Nima Elbagir looks at the young lives for ever thought by horrific slave trade.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is the moment Abdullah Shrem has been waiting months grew. The moment he finally gets to meet Marwan.

Abdullah was responsible for smuggling Marwan to safety. Marwan is 11- years-ago. Three years ago when was just eight, he says he was abducted by ISIS and forced to serve as a slave on that redlines.

Since then, he has been sold on 11 times. Mount Sinjar, Aleppo then Aleppo to Lattakia (ph) to Raqqa, (Inaudible), he casual counts off towns and

territories reciting with equal provider each slave he sees.

ISIS he says trained him to use of RPG, dushka machine gun, a pistol, I blew in that twice. He tells me with pride. He shows us how to throw

grenade. The trick he says is to count to three fast. He shows us his wounds.

A slashed elbow, a twice broken leg, his eyes now a window into the trauma he seemed. We ride to the refugee camp and now saw his family, Marwan

can't quite believe his eyes, his sister, brothers and grandmother. Marwan's father is still missing the joy of today at Marwan's return, a

reminder that (Inaudible) Hamas.

A lost she says never camp, never leaves any of them. Just on this camp alone, more than a dozen rescued by this network of smugglers, traffickers,

good Samaritans and some more dubious characters, it may not be Orthodox but as we speak to say does that really matter if will gets the job done.

ABDULLAH SHREM, SMUGGLER (through a translator): My family was captured by ISIS. I first didn't know much about this it became a duty for us to go in

and rescue these people. We don't see that the peoples of the world were standing up for the Yazidis. So we had to do it ourselves.

ELBAGIR: And a day since ISIS began saying women and children are secondary market has now sprung up. And young Yazidi boy he says can go

for as much as $1,000.

SHREM (through a translator): They don't think we are human beings. They think our children are slaves for them.

ELBAGIR: Hussein Al Qadi works at the Kurdish prime minister funded office for kidnap and rescue.

HUSSEIN AL QADI, KURDISTAN REGIONAL GOVERNMENT (through a translator): We started our work in October 2014 after ISIS took over Syria. Around 3200

Yazidis remain captive.

We are heading in (Inaudible), Mr. Hussein is taking us to the house of a four-year-old boy who was kidnapped and sold by ISIS, it's just around the

corner here.

An makeshift house with mattresses against the wall four-year-old Lazem greets us. His father Qassem Abdu Ali is still waiting and hoping for the

return of his wife and two other missing children. Lazem was rescued four days ago.

He sits quietly before agreeing to shot were he plays. It takes a little while to find this pass rocky field they use to play football.

[11:45:00] He waits but no one comes up. Lazem can't speak the local language. He was a toddler when he and his mother were adductive. Our

producer manages to ascertain that Lazem grew up speaking Turkish, the language spoken by his then owners.

Lazem doesn't want to talk about his missing mother or discuss on his forehead. Lazem like Marwan also change hands a number of times and so he

was returned to his father. He didn't even know his own name. He told us, his owners called him boy.

AL QADI (through a translator): As long as I am alive, I'll be trying to save Yazidi captives.

ELBAGIR: Across Iraq and Syria, the fight against ISIS maybe winnig but the fight to rebuil the lives and families they shuttered continues. Nima

Elbagir, CNN, (Inaudible), Northern Iraq.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Well the aid group save the children, this morning with the humanitarian crisis is Syria is escalating despite the fall of ISIS in

Raqqa. He says some 270,000 civilians who had fled the fighting, still need help and many have no homes to return to.

There is another huge problem as well, and aid workers say many civilians are plagued by nightmares after witnessing horrific violence and will need

extensive psychological help.

We're joined by Firas al-Khateeb, a spokesman to the U.N.'s refugee agencies in Damascus tonight, joins us via Skype and as we off times

concentrate on the geopolitics, the stakeholders involved in this.

We talked about country and militia, and government, we must -- we must remember the people who are affected by what is going on. Let's start in

Raqqa, what do you know about civilians who have escaped from there and what do they need?

FIRAS AL-KHATEEB, SPOKESMAN, UNHCR: Well, we have a lot of civilians that have arrived to our camps in Northern of Raqqa. In four camps that we

provide a lot of services in terms we need to space people, we have (TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY).

New arrivals are taking care of, even camps, a lot of shelter and armed services. We have also physiological support. Yes, we do need help and

they have witnessed a lot of trauma and their lives was not easy, even the past few months, they have -- they have suffered trauma at the atrocities

of war that they need.

ANDERSON: That's Raqqa, I know there are some 40,000 new found shelter in Aleppo, 13,000 in Erbil, I believe 6,000 in Deir ez-Zor and 1,400 in

(Inaudible), of course an area which hasn't been completely cleared by any stretch of the imagination of this militant group ISIS.

These barbarians call themselves the group. Look, what are the most pressing needs for people who have been caught up in this, civilians,

innocents who have been caught up in this, what do their future to look like at this point?

AL-KHATEEB: Well, most of the civilians that leave and flee for their lives, they leave everything behind and the agony, and the misery of

displacement starts from the moment you leave your home.

So -- they need basically everything shelter, food, water, their livelihood has been affected. They lost homes, they have lost their jobs, the

economies have been affected, of course they have to start all over again.

Returning back home with dignity is the best solution. In the meantime, they need our support and help to keep them living in safety and dignity

and avoid having a lost generation by providing children with education.

ANDERSON: Firas, we have just been listening to you and watching Nima Elbagir's report -- an exclusive report on a young boy who was -- they call

him -- just him the boy.

He was taken by ISIS and then sold on some 11 times over a three-year period. I hate say it but I don't think his story is unique. How these

children expected to cope even if they haven't been through that sort of awful traumatic experience?

AL-KHATEEB: Well, we don't want a lost generation. Nobody wants a lost generation.

[11:50:00] Children especially (TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY) -- first aid and physiological, and it's important to start early on. (TECHNICAL

DIFFICULTY) -- so aside from providing them (Inaudible), we have a lot of partners looking up in several locations all over Syria. We have something

like over 75 community centers that have special sessions to deal with such.

ANDERSON: Sir, we appreciate your time. It's very busy time for you. I know those important -- more than important that we have this conversation

and that we don't forget because unless we forget that all of this conflict has people at the very center of it.

Firas al-Khateeb, a spokesman for the U.N.'s refugee agency for you out of Damascus today, we we're going to take a very short break, back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Bright dazzling colors and most importantly, sweet. If you're right, it is it is Diwali, the infectious feasted atmosphere is everywhere

including right here in the UAE, as this country gears up to celebrate and over come with Diwali fever. We take a look with a little help from our go

to Dubai tour guide.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NADA BADRAN, TOUR GUIDE: Hi, I'm Nada Badran. I'm a tour guide and I'm here at the Gold Souk today to see how the rest of Dubai celebrates Diwali.

And today, I would like to take you on a tour with me from Dubai's very own gold market.

And also, get to enjoy some of the traditional Indian suits that are widely available during the celebration. People usually do on Diwali is that they

head out to the markets to buy some of the lanterns or tree lamps that they set on their homes. I'm not at the Hindu Temple in Dubai and I'm going to

go up there and find out how they are celebrating.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My name is (Inaudible). I am in-charge of the temple. Today is the celebration of Diwali, not only for the one religion, from

every religion that people are coming.

[11:55:00] UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Happy Diwali.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Happy Diwali.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Happy Diwali to everyone.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Happy Diwali.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Bright lights to incredibly talented stars to the very latest from around the world in between that speaks side of rich and the important

news and all the stories that matter to you is everything on our Facebook page, that Facebook.com/cnnconnect. I am Becky Anderson. That was Connect

the World, from all of us here at CNN, have a very happy Diwali, thank you for watching.

END